Alex Eala swats aside American qualifier for rousing US Open start

GRATEFUL. The Philippines' Alexandra Eala celebrates winning her first-round match against against Mary Stoiana of the United States in the 2026 US Open.

Geoff Burke/IMAGN IMAGES/Reuters

Alex Eala advances to the second round of the US Open for the second straight year as she ends the dream run of American qualifier Mary Stoiana

AT A GLANCE

• Alex Eala had a strong start at the US Open, defeating American qualifier Mary Stoiana 6-1, 6-2 in the first round.
• Eala, the 17th seed, advanced to the second round for the second consecutive year and will face Ukraine's Oleksandra Oliynykova next.
• The match marked Eala's fewest dropped games since Wimbledon, and she aims to improve on her previous US Open performance.

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MANILA, Philippines – Alex Eala could not have had a better start to her US Open campaign.

The Filipina ace demolished American qualifier Mary Stoiana in the opening round, coasting to a 6-1, 6-2 win before an adoring crowd at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in Flushing Meadows, New York, on Tuesday, September 1 (Wednesday, September 2, Manila time).

Living up to her billing as the 17th seed, Eala swatted aside an untested Stoiana, who made her Grand Slam main draw debut, as she advanced to the second round of the US Open for the second straight year. 

Eala won the first five games to clinch the opening set in just 31 minutes before Stoiana, ranked 122nd in the world, showed some resistance by taking a 2-1 lead in the second set. 

But that only delayed what seemed like an inevitability as Eala reeled off four consecutive games to wrap up the match in 1 hour and 18 minutes and arrange a round-of-64 clash with Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova. 

“Of course, it was very difficult. Every exchange had its own challenges, especially in the start of the second set. I think she put me in uncomfortable positions,” said Eala. “I’m really happy with this match.” 

Eala ended what had been a dream US Open run for Stoiana, who won three matches in qualifying to reach a Grand Slam main draw for the first time in her career.

The win marked the fewest games Eala dropped since she beat Mexico’s Renata Zarazua by the same score in the opening round of the recent Wimbledon Championships, where she made it as far as the fourth round. 

Eala hopes to replicate her Wimbledon exploits as she targets a deeper US Open run, a year after Spain’s Cristina Bucsa ousted her in the second round.

She can surpass her 2025 showing by getting back at world No. 46 Oliynykova, who scored a 6-4, 6-4 win over USA’s Reese Brantmeier in their second-round clash. 

A win over Oliynykova will allow Eala to level their head-to-head record on the WTA Tour after the Ukrainian beat her in three sets in the Strasbourg Open in France in May. – Rappler.com